1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data processing systems, and in particular to Internet Protocol (IP) streaming technologies. More particularly, the present invention relates to an on demand dynamic advertisement insertion in an Internet Protocol stream.
2. Description of the Related Art
Advertising timeslots are traditionally purchased based on historic trends in broadcast viewership. Polls such as the Nielsen ratings attempt to inform media outlets and advertisers as to the worth of an advertising time slot. Nielsen Media Research headquarters are located in New York, N.Y. Sweeps is a period, typically a week, each fall, winter, and spring when television ratings are accrued, studied, and advertising rates are reset.
Television content delivery has undergone an evolution with the advent of the Internet Protocol based media presentation. Instead of passively receiving television and radio signals, the viewers may contact providers and request media, such as subscription television services, pay for view, and streaming video. Media providers may provide both multicast groups and unicast streams to the viewer, based on viewer requests. A multicast is the delivery of information to a group of destinations simultaneously. A unicast is the delivery of media in the form of information packets to a single destination. Internet Protocol streaming television content or an Internet Protocol streaming telecast, as used herein, is the image, sound, or content of a combined audio and video presentation, independent of the device in which the content is received. As such, an Internet Protocol streaming telecast may be viewed on a traditional television set, as well as a personal computer, telephone, PDA or any device in which combined audio and video may be received. An Internet Protocol streaming telecast may be received via a multicast or unicast signal.
Current television sets can receive an Internet Protocol streamed telecast by using a two-way digital broadcast signal. The signal may be sent through a switched telephone or cable network by way of a broadband connection and a set top box programmed with software that can handle viewer requests to access many available media sources. The viewer's television set may connect to a set top box that decodes the Internet Protocol video and converts it into standard television signals. The viewer can access different telecasts by using the television remote to send control commands to the switched video service. The unit processes the request and displays the requested media type.
SIP, the Session Initiation Protocol, is a signaling protocol for Internet conferencing, telephony, presence, events notification, and instant messaging. SIP is a text-based protocol, similar to HTTP and SMTP, for initiating interactive communication sessions between users. Such sessions include voice, video, chat, interactive games, and virtual reality. SIP was developed within the IETF MMUSIC (Multiparty Multimedia Session Control) working group.